A long-awated blueprint to shape the future of planning and development in Redcar and Cleveland has been passed.

The “Local Plan” for Redcar and Cleveland sets out what can be built where in the borough and gives the authority a greater say when it comes to planning decisions on housing, new builds and projects.

Members on Thursday agreed the plan which now has additional recommendations about the regeneration of land South Tees.

The extra document backs the work of the South Tees Development Corporation (STDC) which is seeking to create 20,000 jobs on 4,500 acres of land - including on the former SSI steelworks site .

But the blueprint’s path to approval has not been smooth.

An earlier incarnation of the Local Plan was brought to councillors in 2014 and was rejected after a coalition of Liberal Democrat, Tory and independent members stopped the plan being approved by a single vote.